M-185 (Michigan highway)

M-185
M-185
	M-185 highlighted in red
Route information
	Maintained by MDOT
Length	8.004 mi (12.881 km)
Existed	1933–present
Restrictions	Pedestrians, bicycles or horses only
Major junctions
	Loop around Mackinac Island
	Fort Street; British Landing Road;
Location
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Counties	Mackinac
Highway system
	Michigan State Trunkline Highway System; Interstate; US; State; Byways;

M-185 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan that circles Mackinac Island, a popular tourist destination on the Lake Huron side of the Straits of Mackinac, along the island's shoreline. A narrow paved road of 8.004 miles (12.881 km), it offers scenic views of the straits that divide the Upper and the Lower peninsulas of Michigan and Lakes Huron and Michigan. It has no connection to any other Michigan state trunkline highways—as it is on an island—and is accessible only by passenger ferry. The City of Mackinac Island, which shares jurisdiction over the island with the Mackinac Island State Park Commission (MISPC), calls the highway Main Street within the built-up area on the island's southeast quadrant, and Lake Shore Road elsewhere. M-185 passes by several important sites within Mackinac Island State Park, including Fort Mackinac, Arch Rock, British Landing, and Devil's Kitchen. Lake Shore Road carries the highway next to the Lake Huron shoreline, running between the water's edge and woodlands outside the downtown area.

According to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), M-185 is "the only state highway in the nation where motor vehicles are banned".^[3] Traffic on it is by foot, on horse, by horse-drawn vehicle, or by bicycle.^[a] Restrictions on automobiles date back to 1898, and since the ban, only a few vehicles have been permitted on the island other than the city's emergency vehicles. The highway was built during the first decade of the 20th century by the state and designated as a state highway in 1933. The highway was paved in 1960, and portions were rebuilt to deal with shoreline erosion in the 1980s. Until an accident in 2005, it was the only state highway without any automobile accidents.

^ Cite error: The named reference PRFA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference ROW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Michigan Department of Transportation (November 3, 2005). "Road & Highway Facts". History and Culture. Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
^ ^a ^b Wall Howard, Phoebe (May 26, 2023). "Mackinac Island Police Chief Urges Tourists to Leave E-Bikes at Home, Will Enforce Rules". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
^ Bertrand v. City of Mackinac Island, 662 N.W.2d 77 (Michigan Court of Appeals 2003).
^ Long, Nicole (August 4, 2022). "E-Bike Concerns Heat Up on Mackinac Island After Police Say Battery Exploded". UpNorthLive. Traverse City, Michigan: WPBN-TV. Retrieved May 26, 2023.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

[PRFA-1] Cite error: The named reference PRFA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[ROW-2] Cite error: The named reference ROW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[MDOTFacts-3] Michigan Department of Transportation (November 3, 2005). "Road & Highway Facts". History and Culture. Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2008.

[wall-howard-4] Wall Howard, Phoebe (May 26, 2023). "Mackinac Island Police Chief Urges Tourists to Leave E-Bikes at Home, Will Enforce Rules". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 26, 2023.

[bertrand-5] Bertrand v. City of Mackinac Island, 662 N.W.2d 77 (Michigan Court of Appeals 2003).

[6] Long, Nicole (August 4, 2022). "E-Bike Concerns Heat Up on Mackinac Island After Police Say Battery Exploded". UpNorthLive. Traverse City, Michigan: WPBN-TV. Retrieved May 26, 2023.

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